Authentic Science Fiction Monthly No. 53 — page 117: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

AUTHENTIC SCIENCE FICTION him while riding her tricycle one day. Pamela smiled at all these familiar marks and looked at his face. That flat nose, those deep-set eyes, that smooth dome that was the top of his head, once so shiny; it was now tarnished by twenty or more years of service. Pamela gazed and gazed at him. It seemed she had been parted from him ' for many weeks, not just for one day. There he was, her own Tinlid, her friend, her playmate, and her confidant. Although a non-vocal model, number 117 under- stood human speech. Certain commands brought from him the correct reactions. Also, certain actions by his child master or mistress would in- voke certain reactions in him. If the child should fall he would help in picking him or her up; if the child should be tired he would carry the child home. All these re- actions, and a host of others, were indoctrinated into his brain-box by his makers. The circumstances for which he had no, prepared reaction were rare indeed. Pamela idolised him. To her he was human and under- standing. He was never bored with her chatter, nor too tired 116 to play with her as the grown- ups often were. If truth be known, Pamela loved him more than her parents, who had much love but little time for her. It was for that reason that the robot, a very expensive piece of machinery, had been bought for her at all. Few families could afford such a thing. “Pamela, come to break- fast.” It was her mother calling. “Oh bother,” she said. Her face clouded for a moment. “And I’ve such a lot to tell you, but it will have to do after breakfast.’’ With which she retired hastily to the dining room. After breakfast, Pamela and Tinlid went to a favourite haunt of theirs behind the summer house. She began haltingly: “Tin- lid, they want to take you away.” She paused, fighting to keep back the tears. ““They think you’re too old, and they want to take you away and kill you,” she ended, with a wail. “And they want to give me a strange new robot to play with. But I don’t want a new friend, Tinlid, I want you.” Pamela began to sob. Inside the robot’s brain-box a relay comiclooks.conn